


Little Blackie

by Kurokosou



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Childhood Friends AU, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Sort Of, black lion is a plushie, idk what else to tag, lance is spring cleaning, shance, shance day, shiro is a dork
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-20
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-05-15 09:40:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19293127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurokosou/pseuds/Kurokosou
Summary: Lance discovers a lost treasure while digging for his sweaters in the back of the closet. Of course hehasto show Shiro what he had found - after all, it was thanks to this special little hero that got them together in the first place.[Childhood Friends AU]





	Little Blackie

**Author's Note:**

  * For [koalaoshiz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalaoshiz/gifts).



> Soooo upon discovering that it's Shance Day (why did I not know this was a thing till now?!!!) I wanted to do something, and friend [koalaoshiz](https://archiveofourown.org/users/koalaoshiz) suggested childhood friends so! Here it is 8D;

"Hey Shiro! Look what I found!" Lance's excited voice floated into the living room, Shiro glancing up from his book with a curious face as the other man practically burst into the room. Shiro jumped back slightly as a soft plush of white and black was shoved into his face, hands reaching up to grab at the sudden obstructing object to push it away so he could see it properly. His eyebrows shot up in pleasant surprise, letting out a small hum of recognition at the lion plush toy.

"Huh, I didn't think I still had this guy," Shiro said in awe. "Where'd you even find him?" he asked, a small smile coming to his face as he patted the scruffy mane. Lance smiled broad and bright at him, flopping down on the couch cushion with the grace of a flapping fish out of water.

"Found him in the back of the closet while I was looking for my winter sweaters; I thought for sure he had been lost in our move several years back," Lance answered, holding up the lion plush and playing with its little stubby, stuffed arms. Shiro chuckled, setting his book down on the arm rest of the couch, reaching over to gently take the lion from Lance. He stared at the slightly tattered toy with a fond smile, his hand carefully tracing the fraying seams of the lion. The white parts were a little yellowed from too much exposure to sunlight, the mane a little coarse with age and there was a slight musky smell probably from sitting in the back of the closet too long, but - seeing this toy, even after all these years, still filled Shiro's chest with warm.

Lance bumped their shoulders together, getting Shiro's attention back to him, flashing him a teasing grin that made Shiro blush.

"Even after all this time, you still love little Blackie~" Lance laughed, a happy sigh following after. Shiro's blush deepened to a dark red, clearing his throat in attempts to regain his "mature" composure.

"I admit, it does bring back some warm memories - but I'm a full grown adult now! I'm too old to 'love' my old stuffed animal," he stated plainly. Lance cocked a thin brow at him, giving a casual shrug of his shoulder as he reached over to take the lion plush back.

"Well then, I guess you won't object to throwing it out then."

"NO!" Shiro near screeched, clutching the lion plush tight to his chest as he recoiled away from Lance. Lance blinked in surprised, only a little caught off-guard by the man's reaction before he broke out laughing, nearly falling off the couch as he slid forward. Shiro went bright red in the face and honestly, he wouldn't have been surprised if steam were blowing out his ears. Lance settled down his laughter, wiping away a stray tear before turning to Shiro with an adoring smile.

"Oh Shiro - how are you so adorable and dorky at the same time~?"

"...okay, so maaaybe I'm not quite ready to part with Blackie yet..." Shiro admitted burying half his face into the lion’s mane, his nose scrunching up as the dusty fur tickled it. Lance let out a small sigh, leaning back against the couch, deep blue eyes glimmering with love and nostalgia.

"I remember how you used to carry Blackie around with you everywhere when we were kids."

"I didn't carry him everywhere!" Shiro tried to defend, his frown turning more into a pout. Lance only rolled his eyes, slotting himself right up against Shiro's side.

"Yes you did! You even brought him to my brother's wedding! You put a little bow tie on him and everything!" Lance pointed out.

"You have no proof of that," Shiro huffed. He pulled his arm out from under Lance, allowing the shorter man to mold perfectly against his chest, before dropping his arm around the slender shoulder.

"I know for a fact my mama has pictures, so yes - I do have proof," Lance countered as a matter of factly. He let out a hearty laugh at the small 'goddamnit' Shiro muttered under his breath, tilting his head to fit comfortably under Shiro's chin, snaking his arms around his waist. He could feel Shiro melt into their embrace, feeling a light press of lips against the top of his head. Of course Shiro was still clinging tightly to Blackie with his other arm, something Lance couldn't stop smiling over as he spoke.

"You really do still love this lion, don't you?"

"Well, yeah...it's because you gave it to me," Shiro replied softly, his voice gentle and filled with a tenderness that made Lance's heart swell.

"It wasn't that special..." Lance tried to shrug off, his own face flushing with embarrassment at the memories. Shiro finally set his lion down on the couch, nudging at Lance to sit up so they could face each other eye to eye. Lance's breath caught at the look of absolute adoration showing in dark silver eyes, leaning into the touch of fingers combing through his thick brown curls.

"It is to me," Shiro answered. Lance could feel his heart flutter into his throat, making it impossible to choke out any words, but he didn't need any. It still annoyed him that even after years of being together, Shiro still managed to make him feel like it was their first date all over again. His lack of words pulled a small chuckle from Shiro, knowing exactly how he was making his boyfriend feel. He hooked his finger under Lance's chin, a silent permission for a kiss, as he pulled his face a little closer; Lance let out a huff but leaned forward anyways, unable to stop the smile against Shiro's mouth as their lips pressed together. They let their foreheads rest against each other, letting the peaceful quiet settle around them, taking in each other's company for a moment before Lance moved to stand up.

He still had a task to complete after all, trying not to giggle at the playful pout Shiro gave him. He blew a kiss over his shoulder before sauntering back into the bedroom to continue his quest for his winter sweaters. He snuck one last glance at Shiro, watching the man pick up his lion plush and tuck it under his arm before picking up his book again. Lance smiled, padding back into their shared bedroom with a small bounce. Contrary to his earlier teasings, he was just as unwilling to part with little Blackie as Shiro was; he plopped himself back down on the floor inside their walk-in closet, resuming his task of sorting piles of clothes strewn about. He hummed a wordless tune to himself as he began digging through the closet; a wide smile spread across his face as his mind wandered back to the moment little Blackie changed both his and Shiro’s lives.

-8-

He toddled over to the sandbox, watching the new kid scoop the sand in a bright yellow plastic shovel before letting it drop back to the ground. He didn't seem to be building anything or really interested in doing much else with the sand.

"Hi! I'm Lance! You wanna play?" Lance asked, flashing the new kid a toothy smile. He had been excited when their teacher introduced the boy to the class and had been waiting all morning for recess to approach him.

"Not really..." the boy muttered, not taking his eyes off the falling sand. Lance felt his shoulders slump, his smile dropping in a sad frown. He made a sad little 'oh' as he turned away from the boy, feeling a little disappointed that he didn't want to play together. Something stopped him though, something making him take another glance back at the new kid, still scooping up and dumping the sand in a monotonous motion. Being far too curious for his own good, Lance decided to step closer to the boy, slowly sitting down next to him in the sand pit.

The other boy didn't even react, seeming lost in his own little world, curled up in a little human ball. Lance sat cross-legged, hands on his ankles as he observed the boy before a switch went off in his brain, letting out a loud, knowing 'oh!' that startled the boy next to him.

"Are you sad?" Lance asked. The boy snapped his head up to stare at him with wide eyes, before quickly turning away. He dropped the shovel and folded his arms together, dropping his head down to hide his face.

"No!" he answered stubbornly. Lance wasn't convinced in the slightest; he quickly got up to his feet, saying he'd be right back before running back into the classroom. He dug through his school bag in the cubby with fervor, letting out a cheer as he pulled out the objective of his search. He raced back out to the playground, happy to see the boy still sitting in the sandpit, plopping back down on the ground with a small ‘oof’.

"Here you go!" Lance exclaimed, practically shoving a black and white lion plush into the boy's arms. "This is Blackie! He'll chase all your sadness away, because he's a super hero lion!"

The boy nearly toppled to the side as the lion plush was shoved into his face, clumsy hands stumbling with the toy as he stared at Lance in surprise, looking down at the soft plush now in his hands. Lance gave him a wide smile and a nod, bouncing eagerly in place as he waited for Blackie to work his "magic". The boy just blinked down at the lion, tentative fingers shyly fiddling with its mane and wriggling its stubby legs. The lion plush was black with a white underbelly, little white socks on each paw that had a golden band around the top. A bright blue V-like shape adorned its chest like a necklace, a soft and fluffy black and white mane crowning its head.

He didn't understand why, but somehow, this lion did bring a small smile to his face, his hand playing with the lion's mane, delighting in the way it would puff right back up when he pushed it down. He glanced back at Lance, a sparkle in his wide blue eyes and a grin stretching ear to ear; the boy couldn't help but return the smile, still waving the legs of the lion in his hands. The two boys sat in companionable silence, Lance happy to see that smile lighting up the new boy's face as he continued to ogle at the plush toy in his hands. After a few minutes of stroking the soft mane, the boy held the lion out for Lance to take back, quietly thanking him. Lance shook his head, pushing the lion back towards the boy, earning him a confused look.

"You can have him for today! I don't want you to be sad all day!" Lance explained. The boy could only blink at him, looking back down at the lion curled up in his arms. Both boys turned their heads to the teachers calling out that recess was over and for the kids to start coming back inside the classroom. Lance stood up, brushing the sand from his shorts before he held his hand out to the boy, beaming him a smile.

"Let's go back inside together!" he suggested. The boy stared unsure between his hand and the ground, before hesitantly taking it, standing up to his feet.

"...Takashi..." he spoke. Lance tilted his head curiously, the boy shuffling his feet as they walked.

"I didn't tell you my name before - it's Takashi."

"Hi again, Takashi! I'm Lance!" Lance smiled, tightening his hand around Takashi's as he pulled him across the playground. Takashi let Lance walk them into the classroom, only letting go of his hand when they had to take their seats. After the classes were finished for the day, Lance immediately went over to Takashi, the boy expecting him to ask for his lion back, but Lance made no such request. Instead, he took his hand again and dragged him through the halls to the school gates where his older brother was waiting for him, eager to introduce his new friend. Takashi blushed a little at being called friend after just meeting each other only hours ago. He heard his mother call out to him, regrettably having to say goodbye to Lance; he waited for Lance to ask for his stuffed lion back, but the boy still didn't say a word. Takashi opened his mouth to say something, but Lance only grinned at him, pressing a finger to his mouth in a silent 'shush', like they were keeping a secret only they knew.

Takashi stood there stunned, Lance waving goodbye and saying they’d see each other again tomorrow. Takashi sat quietly in the car, completely enchanted with the lion now sitting on his lap. His mother noticed the lion and asked him where he got it from; unsure what else to say, Takashi told her the truth and said his new friend gave it to him. A pleasantly surprised expression came to her face, before a gentle smile replaced it, her hand gently combing through Takashi’s hair. She and her husband had been worried Takashi was not adjusting well with the move from Osaka to the US, so she was very happy to hear her son had managed to make a new friend already.

The car ride home stayed mostly quiet, his mother sometimes talking out loud to remind herself of errands still left to do. Takashi kept himself occupied bouncing his new companion on his lap, smiling more in the last few hours than he has had in the last few weeks since moving.

He had not been happy.

He didn’t understand why his parents had decided to do this, why they had to take him away from their home, away from his friends back in Osaka. His mother had tried to sooth his tantrum, wiping at his tears as she had tried to explain it was for his father’s job. Takashi had stubbornly pushed her hands away, refusing to be comforted and kicking up a fuss about moving, sulking even as their plane had landed in the US. He had been stubbornly adamant about being miserable over the whole move, that he hadn’t expected someone to actually want to play with him. He hadn’t expected such a small and simple gesture to chase away the aching sadness in his chest so easily, or to meet such a bright and sunny boy like Lance.

Takashi hugged Blackie close to his chest, a sweet smell of sunlight and something floral filling his nose as he buried his face in the mane. He didn’t let go of the lion even after settling in his room, or when he sat down for dinner with his parents, or as they worked on his school work together. In fact, the only time he relinquished his hold on the lion was when he had to take a bath, and even then he insisted on having the lion in his line of sight throughout the whole bath time. When bedtime came around, his parents were more than happy to oblige with his request to tuck both him and Blackie under the covers, giving the lion a kiss as well before wishing them both good night. Takashi snuggled tight with Blackie, a smile lingering on his face as he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts already eager for tomorrow to come. He couldn’t wait to play with his new friend Lance and get to know the other boy better.


End file.
